Conditioned response - sitting or lying (burning sensation in gut).

Hi i have TMS abdominal burning pain which is a “conditioned response” when I am sat down or lying down. For 3yrs. It’s very strong and gets worse stressing about it. I’m afraid to sit down at a cafe or anywhere for more than 10mins…also have same issue lying down in bed. I’m stuck in the fear pain loop and can’t switch off the pain. It arrives after I’m sat down for more than 5-10mins. My subconscious expects it… “predictive coding”

I need to disable this switch and have no fear about it.

I haven’t been able to do my laptop work for 2yrs it’s extremely frustrating, also financially worrying.

Anyone in a similar boat here? I am aware of Alan Gordon’s tools but yet have no relief….

Can you provide me with any tools for fixing or unlearning this conditioned response I have in my gut lower abdomen area?

thank a lot

 

Hi @johnnyxiao

What do you do: what is your reaction to your symptoms besides the feeling of fear? Do you leave the cafe? Get up from your chair?

Graded exposure and somatic tracking, dropping into your body to sense the feeling of fear or anger or whatever other emotion you are feeling and being ok with it, sitting and not running or pushing away (mentally) the emotions, sensations etc a little at a time can help you overcome over time. Alan Gordon does outline all of these in his book - employing them over time and with consistency is the key. Bit by bit - moment by moment.
Dr. Sarno asks us to do a bit more work - he asks us to examine our personality traits which develop as coping mechanisms in childhood, and to also examine our stressors and emotions and recognize that our fears in life may go beyond our physical pain. An unrecognized anxiety - and may need to accompany emotional work that Alan Gordon touches on but does not fully focus on in his book.